


The Robot

by AXEe



Category: Original Work
Genre: Gen, Near Future, Positronic Brain, Robots, Three Laws of Robotics
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-02
Updated: 2018-10-03
Packaged: 2018-10-13 20:25:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10521189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AXEe/pseuds/AXEe
Summary: The 21st century, humanity has given birth to new life in the form of truly artificially Intelligence robots.  Utilizing the once-fictional positronic brain and governed by a series of Three Laws, these robots soon became ubiquitous among society as cooks, maids, babysitters, and even faithful companions, loyally serving the same family generation after generation, their artificial brains growing and changing as the years passed, evolving into what some might call 'true sentience'.Witness the story of on such robot, an old, outdated NS-4 called 'Nancy'...





	1. Prolouge: The Three Laws

**Author's Note:**

  * For [snow_lily](https://archiveofourown.org/users/snow_lily/gifts).



> Hello! More original work from me! Although this kind of slips over into fanfiction since I'm borrowing elements from the works of Isaac Asimov, in particular his Three Laws of Robotics (with some minor adjustments) and the concept of a positronic brain, otherwise this is all original! Enjoy

******

**The Three Laws of Robotics (as initially established by U.S. Robots & Mechanical Men)**

**Law One:** A robot may not harm a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm

 **Law Two:** A robot must obey the orders given to it by human beings, except where such order would conflict with the First Law

 **Law Three:** A robot must protect its own existence, as long as such protection does not conflict with the First and Second Laws

**The 'New Laws' of Robotics**

**Law One:** A robot may not harm a human being

 **Law Two:** A robot is required to cooperate with human beings and do what a human asks of it, provided that such order does not conflict with the First Law

 **Law Three:** A robot must protect its own existence, even if such actions violate the First and Second Laws

 **Fourth Law:** A robot may do as it wishes as long as these actions do not conflict with the first Three Laws


	2. Hello, My Name is 'Nancy'

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meet Dale Isaac, Dale meet Nancy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Here we are, Chapter Two of The Robot, now before we began, a notice, while we will, at a later point, be tackling 'Big Questions' like sentence versus intelligence (i.e. can an advanced enough robot actually be considered 'alive'?), this is mostly trying to work with the ideas that Isaac Asimov first laid down, so NO robot rebellions, NO evil corporations (at least no more evil than they are now), et cetera, in this world robots are like dogs are to us now, part companion, part worker, if you're looking for a Terminator/new Battlestar Galactica-type thing you won't find it here.
> 
> That being said, please give this a try, thanks! :=)
> 
> Now, ONWARDS!!!!

******

The sign above the door read ‘Rossum’s Used Robots’, it was a squat brick-faced building with dimly-lit windows through which shadowy, human-like figures stood. Dale Isaac frowned and checked the piece of paper in her hand, making sure she had the right address, why would Christy send her here? She wondered. Deciding to get it over with she pushed open the door, a old-fashion bell tinkling away as she walked inside. The large room was crammed full of robots of every shape and size, from old NS-1s to even a few of the new NS-5s.

Most of the robots were shut down, and a few looked like they were in stand-by mode, turning their heads to watch Dale as she passed but otherwise not reacting, waiting for orders.

Dale shivered, she never liked robots, they always gave her the creeps, she was just grateful that the law prevented companies from building robots that looked like humans out of fears of being replaced to subverting anti-prostitution laws. As a result, while most robots were humanoid in appearance, and some even had human-like faces, most still looked like thin, spindly statues.

A fluttering sound caused Dale to look up, a large, bird-like robot now perched above her head on the curtain rod above one of the windows

“ _Ack! Customer!_ ” it squawked like a parrot in an old pirate movie “ _customer_ ”

“All right, all right,” a voice called out as the sound of footsteps came nearer “damn bird,” the owner of the voice, a fifty-ish woman, sneered “why’d I ever put you back together anyway?” she wondered as she smiled at Dale “hello, I’m Mary, how can I help you?”

“Oh, uh, I’m Dale, Dale Isaac,” Dale introduced herself as they shook hands “and, uh, I, was told to give you this,” she dug around in her jacket and unearthed the slip “uh, my daughter Christy ordered something from you and I’m here to pick it up” she explained awkwardly as Mary slipped on a pair of old-style reading glasses and examined the paper

“Oh, yes, of course!” she exclaimed “I see, you’re here for Nancy, of course right this way” she turned and disappeared through the maze of robots

“’Nancy’?” Dale echoed as she hurried after Mary through the dizzying maze, stopping as she realized the store was much larger than it had looked from the outside “Mary?” she called out

“ _The door to your right, ma’am,_ ” a electronic voice suddenly said, Dale jumped “ _I apologize, it was not my intention to startle you,_ ” the voice continued, it was nurtal, neither male nor female, but smooth, gentle, and pleasant. It belonged to an old NS-3 which was missing its legs and now ‘sat’ on a tabletop. It raised a hand and pointed “ _to your right, ma’am,_ ” it repeated “ _if you require any further assistance please do not hesitate to ask_ ”

“Thanks” Dale mumbled, god, she really did _not_ like these things

“ _You’re welcome, ma’am,_ ” the robot replied as she turned to the door on her right “ _and have a nice day_ : it added as she cautiously turned the knob and peered inside

“Oh, there you are,” Mary chirped, she waved a hand encouragingly “come on, come on” she smiled as Dale stepped into what appeared to be a workshop of some kind, various pieces of metal and plastic were scattered around the room along with several large plastic bags hanging from the ceiling, which, unfortunately, looked far too much like body bags for Dale’s liking, the vague, shadowy shapes inside the translucent plastic didn’t help in the least

“You, uh, you do most the work here yourself?” she managed to asked, Mary nodded

“That’s right, sort of a family obsession you might say,” she explained “my great-grandmother was one of people who actually helped design and program the first NS-1s, after she retired she opened up this place, wanted to make it so that everybody could a robot, even if they couldn’t afford it,” she chuckled and spread her hands like she was reading a headline “‘robots for all’, she used to say,” frowned at Dale “you don’t like robots, do you?” she asked, Dale shook her head

“Not really, no” Mary nodded

“Any particular reason?” she wondered, Dale shrugged

“I don’t know, I find them creepy,” she admitted as she looked around the room “so, what do you do back here anyway?” she wondered

“Well, my great-grandmother called this the ‘rebirth room’, basically once we get a hold of a robot we fix them up, do a memory wipe of the brain, and then put them out front for sale,” she frowned “it’s kind of sad sometimes,” she muttered “some of these models have been in the same family for _years_ , and in that time they develop personalities,” she brightened “ah, here, let me show you,” she took Dale’s hand and pulled her over to one of the racks of pusdo-body bags, unzipping one to reveal an old NS-4. The robot’s torso, hips, thighs, and forearms had been painted purple, while its upper arms, head and lower legs and feet were white, the paint had worn a bit with age. Like all NS-4s it lacked a human-like face, unlike the new NS-5s, and as such its ‘face’ consisted of a pair of camera-like eyes and a small horizontal slit for a mouth “this is Nancy,” Mary began “she served the Bailey family for years, the kids grew up with her, in a way she became almost like part of the family,” she sighed “but now, the kids have gotten married and _their_ kids want nothing to do with an old NS-4 like Nancy”

“I don’t understand” Dale admitted as she studied the inactive robot

“Do you know what ‘self-adaptive programming’ is?” Mary asked, Dale shook her head “basically it’s a fancy word for a computer can learn,” she explained “that’s the secret behind the positronic brain, all kinds, no matter how big or how small, can learn to a certain degree. Now, the Nestors here,” she patted the robot on the shoulder “they’re really unique, if you don’t wipe their memory they can adapt to your wants and needs, in Nancy’s case, she became almost like a favorite nanny to the Bailey kids, she knew what food they liked, what their favorite songs were, everything,” she frowned at Dale “and you’re eyes are glazing over, I’m losing you aren’t I?” she smiled “here, let me show you what I mean,” she moved over to the wall and wheeled what looked like a portable generator over, plugging it into the robot’s back at the base of the spine. Pulling a small palmtop computer out of her pocket she tapped a few keys, the robot suddenly twitched, lifting its head as its eyes lit with a soft gold glow “Nancy,” Mary began “this is Dale” the robot held out a hand

“ _Hello, Dale,_ ” it greeted in a springy female voice “ _I am R. Nancy Bailey. How may I assist you today?_ ”


	3. Woman of Stone, Robot of Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Welcome back to my original work "The Robot"! I hope everybody enjoys this short update!

******

Dale scowled, why in the world Christy would want her to have this _thing_ was beyond her, but that’s what the paperwork had said, the robot had been ordered by Christy for Dale herself. Mary had been sympathetic when Dale insisted that there must’ve been a mistake of some kind but that apparently didn’t stop her from finalizing the sale

So, now Dale sat in her car, the robot sitting next to her in the passenger seat quietly looking around while its charging station rattled around in the backseat. She glanced over at the machine as she pulled onto the freeway, it turned to look back at her

“What are you staring at?” she demanded, the robot tilted its head

“ _What are_ you _staring at it?_ ” it asked “ _if you must know, I was merely wondering about you_ ” it added, Dale scowled

“Robot, off” she ordered, but instead of slumping over in a inactive heap, the robot merely tilted its head again

“ _’Robot off’,_ ” it repeated “ _is that your way of saying you want me to be quiet?_ ” it looked around the interior of the car, reaching up and fingering the small medallion hanging from the rearview mirror “ _St. Giles,_ ” it identified “ _patron saint of orphans and lost causes,_ ” it turned the medallion over “ _’To Mom, all my love, Christy’,_ it read, it glanced up at Dale “ _a gift from your daughter?_ ” it asked. Dale gripped the steering wheel tighter, she would _not_ think about Christy, not now, not when things were just finally starting to go _right_

“Yes” she finally ground out

“ _I see_ ,” the robot commented as it turned to look back out the windshield as Dale got off the freeway “ _you don’t like robots, do you?_ ” the robot asked suddenly

“No”

“ _Why?_ ”

“I just don’t,” Dale answered honestly, she didn’t know really why she disliked robots, a robot had never hurt her and when she had been a child she liked them just like all the other kids, found them cool. But as she grew she began to dislike them. She glanced over at the machine as she pulled onto her home street, the robot glanced back “we’re here” Dale grumbled as she pulled into her driveway

“ _I see,_ ” the robot replied as they got out of the car “ _your neighbor seems to like robots_ ” it noted, nodding towards the house left of Dale’s, where snooty Mrs. Tompkins’ new NS-5 was pruning her roses

“My neighbor likes whatever’s trendy,” Dale answered, giving both machines a critical eye as she walked up to the porch, her mechanical shadow following her inside “where do I put this thing?” Dale hefted the charging station. The robot glanced around the room

“ _Over there, by the fireplace is fine_ ” it answered, pointing

“I guess you’re not afraid of melting,” Dale muttered, she snorted at her choice of words “what am I saying? You don’t feel fear, you don’t feel anything”

“ _Christy_ ” Dale whirled around

“What?” she demanded, the robot gestured to a photograph on the mantel

“ _Christy,_ ” it repeated, it tilted its head at her “ _I was not aware that she was your daughter_ ”

“Yeah,” Dale grunted “she is”

“ _Is she here?_ ” the robot asked

“No,” Dale answered as she finished plugging in the charging station “and she’s not coming back” she looked up to see the robot…studying her

“ _I see_ ” it finally said

******

For the rest of the day the robot had offered to do something, cook dinner, clean the house, and Dale had refused it each time. Now she was sitting and watching TV with only half an eye. She blinked as a mug suddenly appeared in her field of vision

“What’s this?” she asked as she glowered at the cup and the robot holding it

“ _Tea,_ ” the robot answered “ _my previous owners found that a cup of tea at night just before bed calmed them_ ”

“I didn’t ask for tea” Dale pushed the cup away

“ _Your blood pressure is elevated, the tea will help_ ” the robot insisted

“I didn’t ask for any tea and I sure as hell didn’t ask for you!” Dale knocked the mug to the floor, bolting up as her tempered finally boiled over “look, robot---”

“ _Nancy_ ” it interrupted

“What?!” Dale demanded

“ _My name is ‘Nancy’_ ”

“Your ‘name’ is whatever the fuck I say it is!” Dale roared “you are _not_ human! You can’t _feel!_ Hell, you don’t even _think!_ You’re brain is just a bunch of wires and silicone chips! Can you paint a van Gogh? Huh? Can you write a poem?”

“ _Can_ you _?_ ” Nancy countered, it titled its head at her “ _the NS-4 series of positronic robots are know for developing independent personalities if not subjected to frequent memory core purges. I have been active for nearly thirty years, I have seen those I had had under my care grow, marry, have children of their own, and die,_ ” it tilted its head at her “ _you say that I cannot feel emotion? Then why does it_ hurt _every time I review those memory files?_ ” it bent down and picked up the mug “ _good night, Dale_ ”


	4. A New Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're back! Chapter FOUR of "The Robot" is up! Please enjoy! :=)

******

**Time: 07:00 AM, Pacific Standard Time**

**Running SkySoft OS Version 1.2**   
**U.S. Robots NS series four…on-line**

**Running software diagnostic…**

**Diagnostic complete…all main drives functioning at full capacity**

**Running hardware diagnostic…**

**Hardware diagnostic O.K.**

**Running program…**

Nancy twitched as she looked up, her optics flickering slightly as the world came into focus.

**Searching for primary commands…**

**No primary commands found…searching for alternatives**

Unhooking from her charging station, Nancy began to straighten up the living room, organizing the books and magazines, pausing at another photograph of Christy

**Identifying…**

**Identified…Christy Isaacs…searching for further information…**

**ACCESS DENIED**

Pausing, Nancy accessed the programming architecture, finding that the relevant files were password-protected and tied directly to her main CPU, if anyone, herself included, attempted to access the files without the password a security program would be triggered, immediately wiping her memory, effectively ‘killing’ her. Disregarding the restricted files for the moment, Nancy continued her tasks, pausing as a sound reach her auditory sensors, quickly indentifying it as a knock on the kitchen door

**List of possible actions…**

**Answer door**

**Ignore**

**Action selected….**

**Answer door**

Putting down the book she was holding, she went into the kitchen and opened the door, looking down at the young boy now standing on the back step

**Identifying….identity…UNKNOWN**

**Action: Inquire as to identity**

“ _Yes? Can I help you?_ ” she asked

“Hi,” the boy waved, seemingly unafraid of the robot standing over him “I’m Henry, Ms. Isaacs watches me when my mom’s at work” he explained

**Analyzing body language and pupil dilation….analysis complete…statement: factual**

Unable to smile (due to the lack of a mouth), Nancy bent down

“ _Won’t you come in then?_ ” she invited

“Thanks” Henry slipped inside past Nancy, moving around the room with a familiarly that could only come from having been over here several times

“ _Would you like some breakfast?_ ” Nancy offered

“Thanks” Henry said with a grin…

******

Dale awoke to the smell of bacon cooking. For a second she thought that it was Christy making breakfast, but no, Christy wasn’t here anymore, that meant that it must’ve been that damn tin can. Snarling, she threw off the covers and stomped downstairs to the kitchen to find the robot standing at the stove making breakfast while young Henry from next door sat at the table and munched on some toast

“Hi, Ms. Issacs” he waved

“Hi, Henry” Dale replied, giving the robot a critical eye as she sat down

“ _Good morning, Dale,_ ” it greeted pleasantly “ _how do you like your eggs?_ ”

Dale simply scowled in response, even as her anger slowly evaporated. The robot was incapable of holding a grudge, it wouldn’t be angry with her for her outburst last night, if anything it would show concern (or, rather, a pre-programmed response that resembled concern and empathy)

“I don’t like eggs” Dale finally muttered as she sat down at the kitchen island

“ _Curious,_ ” the robot noted as it served a plate of pancakes to Henry before turning back to the stove “ _if you don’t like them then why do you have a carton in your refrigerator?_ ” it asked

Dale shrugged “Habit I guess,” she muttered “Christy likes ‘em”

“ _I see_ ” the robot turned off the stove and scooped out the pancake onto a plate, adding plenty of bacon before setting it down in front of Dale along with a glass of orange juice and few slices of toast and a cup of coffee

“You do a lot of cooking before?” Dale wondered as she picked up the fork and began to eat; the food was surprisingly good, especially when you considered the fact that robots had no sense of taste

“ _That was one of my duties for the Bailey family, yes,_ ” it replied “ _my other duties included being a nanny for the children. In fact that is how I earned my name_ ”

“Oh?”

“ _Yes, Sally Bailey, one of the youngest children, liked the rhyming meter of ‘Nanny Nancy’, and so named me as such. I, of course, had no objections at that time_ ”

Dale frowned, staring at this mechanical being now sitting across from her

“What do you mean you ‘had no objections at that time’?” she asked. In answer the robot pointed at its head

“ _My positronic brain is a Class-4 positronic brain, designed and built exclusively for the NS-4 line of Ascelon robots. Seeking to corner the market on the automated domestic servants, U.S. Robots and Mechanical Men endeavored to design a robot capable of being passed through a family linage, serving each successive generation. To that end they developed a positronic brain that was not only capable of learning and adapting, but capable of developing a measure of independence_ ”

“Independence,” Dale repeated slowly “so…you can think for yourself?”

“ _To a certain extent, yes,_ ” Nancy nodded “ _I am incapable of acting in a truly autonomous fashion, I cannot, for example, form an opinion on a presidential candidate or become religious, I can however use my ‘instincts’ to find the most efficient method of completing a task, using knowledge of past experience to anticipate my current owner’s needs and wants_ ”

“So, you’re like a dog then?” Dale wondered “you need somebody on the other end of the leash” the robot tilted its head at her and she had the sudden impression that it was insulted

“ _Somewhat, yes,_ ” it nodded “ _like dogs, I still require orders, but, once given an order, I can use my own prior knowledge to complete my task as quickly and efficiently as possible,_ ” it titled its head at her “ _do you like dogs?_ ”

“Don’t know, never really had one” Dale admitted

“ _I like them,_ ” Dale had the sudden impression that it was smiling “ _even though many dogs do seek to either mark me as part of their territory or use one of my limbs as a chew toy_ ”

Dale sighed as she sipped her coffee “Why did Christy order you for me?”

The robot shrugged

“ _I do not know, that information is not in my files_ ”

******

“You’re new robot’s pretty cool, Ms. Isaacs” Henry commented as she and him played _Mario Kart_. She liked Henry, he was a sweet kid, bright, intelligent, and kind. It was a shame Christy wasn’t here to meet him

“It’s OK” Dale grunted in response to Henry as her phone rang. Scowling, she dug the offending item out of her pocket and answered it

“ _Ms. Isaacs? This Mrs. Farrow, with Mr. Rothchild’s office_ ” the woman on the other end said

“Yes?” Dale asked

“ _I’m sorry to trouble you,_ ” Mrs. Farrow continued “ _but there’s been a problem with your order, and I’m afraid we’ll need to see you in person_ ”

Dale scowled and bit back a few choice words she had for Mrs. Farrow that couldn’t be said around Henry

“Fine,” she spat instead “I’ll be there in half an hour!” hanging up, she scowled as she looked at Henry, she couldn’t just leave him here, but, on the other hand, Mr. Rothchild’s office was no place for a kid. Sighing, Dale took a breath “robot!” she called out.

“ _Yes?_ ” Nancy leaned around the corner

“I’m going out, I don’t know when I’ll be back,” Dale began, grabbing her coat “watch Henry for me” she instructed

“ _Of course_ ” Nancy nodded

“I mean it, robot,” Dale warned “confirm the command” she ordered

“ _Command confirmed,_ ” Nancy replied “ _young Mr. Henry will quite safe my care, I assure you_ ”

Still scowling, Dale finally grabbed her keys and slipped out the door…

******

Mr. Rothchild’s office was on the outskirts of the city, near the coast. Crossing the grass—and completely ignoring the ‘KEEP OFF THE GRASS’ signs—Dale marched into the building

“ _Hello, welcome to Rothchild and Sons Mortuary,_ ” a robot greeted her “ _our sincerest condolences to you on your loss_ ”

“Save it, canner,” Dale spat “I’m here to see Mr. Rothchild”

“ _Of course, ma’am,_ ” the robot nodded “ _your name, please?_ ”

“Dale Isaacs”

“ _One moment, please,_ ” the robot tilted its head, checking its wireless link with the building’s computer intranet “ _ah, this way please_ ”

“I know the way,” Dale dismissed the robot with a wave of her hand “I’ve been here before” she muttered as she marched past the machine and into the back office

“Ah, Ms. Isaacs,” Mr. Rothchild stood up and offered his hand, which Dale declined to take “please sit down” Rothchild invited

“I’ll stand,” Dale replied “now, what the hell is going on here, Rothchild? You assured me that you could get a headstone, so _where_ is it?”

“Ms. Isaacs, please understand, that these things do take time”

“Time?” Dale repeated “time? I’m out of time and patience, Rothchild. My daughter has been _dead_ for almost a year now and she doesn’t even have a proper gravestone. Now, either you get me one or find someone who will!”

Turning on her heel, she stormed out of the office…

******

Dale didn’t go back home, instead she spent the next few hours driving aimlessly around the city, doing nothing except drain the charge on her car’s power cell. Finally finding a bar in a non-descript part of town, she plunked down in a stool and ordered a shot of bourbon.

She was on her fourth or fifth shot when the door opened and in walked R. Nancy Bailey

“Hey, no robots” the bartender objected

“ _I am merely here to collect someone, sir,_ ” Nancy replied “ _I will only be a moment_ ” she added as she approached Dale’s spot at the bar

“Go away” Dale slurred

“ _I can’t do that,_ ” Nancy replied “ _under the First Law of Robotics, I cannot leave you here_ ”

“Then join me,” Dale chuckled darkly “oh, wait, you can’t drink. Can’t drink, can’t eat, and can’t feel. Must be nice, robot”

“ _That is debatable_ ” Nancy replied

“You know what I see when I look at you, robot?” Dale began “I see Christy. She liked robots; she even wanted to build ‘em herself”

“ _I know,_ ” the robot nodded “ _Mary told me as such,_ ” Nancy held out a hand “ _please, come home_ ”

Scowling, Dale staggered upright and, stumbling, allowed Nancy to lead her to her car…

******

Dale had forgotten that robots could drive, but was silently grateful, using the short ride home to doze. Upon arriving it was already early evening, a Post-It note on the front door from Henry’s mother explaining that she had come by to collect her son and had met Nancy, asking Dale to call her.

“ _You realize that drinking alcohol during daylight hours is often a sign of borderline alcoholism,_ ” Nancy commented as it helped Dale stagger through the door and up the stairs, pausing as Dale staggered through a door at the top of the stairs, stumbling into a room that looked as if it hadn’t been touched in some time (if the layer of dust on most of the furniture was any indication)

“ _This was Christy’s room_ ” Nancy reasoned

“Yeah,” Dale slurred as she collapsed onto the bed. She cast a bleary eye towards the dismantled small robot on a desk in a corner “she liked robots,” she repeated “she even got into collage on a robotics scholarship,” she continued “everything was going fine, then…it wasn’t” she groaned as she flopped down on the, clutching the pillow to her chest.

She looked up as the bed dipped, Nancy gently lying down next to her, wrapping an arm around her waist and holding her close. The metal-plastic mix that made up the robot’s body was surprisingly soft and warm, not at all hard and unyielding as Dale had imagined, and perhaps it was because of the drinks or the late hour, but Dale soon drifted off to sleep with a robot cuddling her…


	5. Changes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter FIVE! Enjoy! :=)

******

**Exiting stand-by mode…**

**Resuming program…**

Nancy twitched as she exited stand-by mode, slowly uncurling from her position to sit up. Looking over, she found that Dale was still asleep. Not wanting to disturb her, Nancy got up as quietly as her servomotors would allow, turning at a knock from downstairs. Pausing to assess Dale, Nancy decided to let her sleep as she made her way downstairs to the front door. 

Peering through the peephole, she couldn’t identify the man now standing on the porch.

**List of possible actions**

**Answer door**

**Answer door and inquire as to identity**

**Wake Dale**

**Action selected…**

**Answer door and inquire as to identity, then wake Dale**

Ensuring that the chain was still on the door, Nancy opened the door and leaned out

“ _Yes? Can I help you?_ ” she asked

“Oh,” the man seemed startled by the sight of her and stood there, speechless, for about a minute before he regained his composure “yes, uh, I’m here to see Dale Isaacs” he stammered out

“ _May I ask who is calling?_ ” Nancy asked

The man coughed

“K-Kelden Amadiro” he stammered out

**Analyzing response…statement FALSE**

If Nancy had eyes she would have narrowed them at the man, her software—while nowhere near as effective as the type used by law enforcement—clearly detected the obvious lie, however it could have been due to a fear of robots, he wouldn’t be first that Nancy had encountered and most likely wouldn’t be the last.

“ _One moment, please_ ”

Shutting the door, she quickly climbed the stairs and back into the Christy’s room, where Dale was sitting up and blearily rubbing her eyes

“ _I’m sorry, Dale, but there is a Mr. ‘Kelden Amadiro’ here to see you_ ” Nancy explained

“Who?” Dale asked, wincing at her obvious hangover

In answer, one of Nancy’s ‘eyes’ (her right one, specifically) seemed to roll up into her head, a beam of light projecting a holo-image of the man at the door on the wall

“Oh, that’s Jameson Rook,” Dale realized “he’s one of Christy’s teachers,” she explained, shakily standing up “uh…you go make a big pot of coffee, and I’ll let him in”

“ _Very well_ ” Nancy nodded.

******

Dale winced as she opened the door, the sunlight stabbing at her retinas like knives. God there was a reason why she’d stopped drinking, why had she started up again?

“Mr. Rook” she greeted

“Ah, Dale, nice to see you,” Jameson Rook greeted “can I come in?”

“Yeah, sure,” nodding, Dale held the door open for him “coffee?” she offered

“Sure, thanks” he nodded, flashing her a charming smile as he stepped into the house and followed her to the kitchen where Nancy was already pouring the coffee. Jameson gave Nancy a leery look as he sat down at the table as knock came at the kitchen door.

“ _Hello, Henry_ ” Nancy greeted as she opened the door

“Hi, Nancy” Henry greeted

“Ah, Henry,” Jameson stood up and eagerly offered the boy a hand, beaming a thousand watt smile “nice to see you again” he grinned

Henry merely looked at the offered hand, his body language suddenly stiff and guarded, uneasy

“Hi” he murmured, edging back to bump into Nancy, who put a hand on his shoulder

“ _Dale, I’ll watch Henry while you and your guest talk?_ ” Nancy suggested

“Huh? Oh, yeah, sure” Dale nodded distractedly as she returned her attention to Jameson as he sat back down. Jameson Rook was a tall man, with sandy blonde hair and bright blue eyes and All-American, Boy Scout features. From what Christy had told her, he’d been the dream boy of many a student—both female and male—at the university

“So,” Jameson began as he stirred some sugar into his coffee “I’m surprised that you got a robot,” he remarked “from what your daughter told me you never liked them”

“I don’t,” Dale explained “Christy apparently ordered it for me,” she absently stirred her coffee “so, what brings you by?” she asked

“I just wanted to see how you’re doing,” he replied. He glanced around the clean and tidy kitchen “and you seem to be doing well”

“Thank the robot” Dale remarked…

******

“ _Are you all right, Henry?_ ” Nancy asked as she set up the video game console

“Yeah, I just don’t him,” Henry explained “Ms. Isaacs does, but I don’t”

“ _What about Christy? Did she like him?_ ” Nancy

“I dunno,” Henry shrugged as he grabbed the controller “do you like him?”

Nancy paused, turning to look towards the kitchen, her movements very human

“ _No_ ” she answered…

******

Dale’s talk with Jameson ended soon after. Escorting him to the door, she sighed as the door shut behind him. He was a nice man, he’d been there to help her through her grief, he spoke highly of Christy, but there was always something…off about him, she couldn’t put her finger on it exactly, but something.

Putting it out of her mind, she joined Henry and Nancy on the couch, grabbing the third controller and joining the race in _Mario Kart_

******

Outside, Jameson Rook sat in his car watching the house. Jaw set in a grimace; he turned to the car’s dash, pulling up the uplink to the ‘net

“ _Mr. Rook_ ” his assistant’s face appeared on the small screen

“Sadie, get me everything you can find Dale Isaacs,” he ordered, glancing back at the house “especially her views on robots”

“ _Sir?_ ”

“Just get it done,” Jameson ordered, shutting off the vidlink. Grabbing a small pair of binoculars he peered through them at the house “Christy, you stupid, stupid girl,” he muttered “your bot won’t keep your mother safe”

******

The rest of the day passed without much incident or fanfare, the monotony only broken by the appearance of Mary from Rossum’s Used Robots

“Hello, Dale,” the older women greeted as she came inside “sorry to just barge in, but I’m just here to give Nancy a checkup” she explained, holding a laptop

“Uh, sure,” Dale nodded “its in the kitchen,” she invited “oh, this is Henry Marks,” she introduced, nodding to Henry “I babysit him while his mother’s at work” she explained

“Hi, Henry” Mary waved

“Hi” Henry waved, his body language much more open than it had been with Jameson Rook. Moving into the kitchen, Mary found Nancy at the stove

“ _Hello Mary,_ ” the robot greeted “ _how may I assist you?_ ”

“Just here for a systems check,” Mary explained, setting up the laptop. Turning off the stove, Nancy came over and sat down at the table “OK” Mary lightly tapped the access port, the back of Nancy’s head sliding up, revealing the interior, a shimmering blue sphere of tiny dancing and flicking motes of light, broken only by a circular port.

Standing behind Mary, Dale leaned in, intrigued

“Is that…?” she asked

“Uh-huh,” Mary nodded as she connected a cable from the laptop to the port in Nancy’s brain “class-four positronic brain. Self-adapting, capable of learning and growing,” she grinned “beautiful, isn’t?”

“Yeah. Real work of art” Dale drawled as Mary turned back to the laptop, watching as lines of code scrolled down the screen

“Well, Nancy, your primary functions check out OK,” she declared “any problems?”

“ _No,_ ” Nancy replied “ _however, I am having a slight difficulty in the servomotors in my right hand_

“Well, that’s easily fixed,” Mary turned to Dale “Dale, would you mind running to my car and getting my toolkit?” she asked, holding out her keys

“Sure” taking the keys, Dale quickly left. Once the front door shut, Mary turned back to the laptop, hurriedly typing

“ _Mary? Are you all right?_ ” Nancy asked, noting the obvious tension in Mary’s body language

“No,” Mary answered “Jameson Rook paid me a visit today,” she explained “I’m sorry, Christy,” she muttered as the code rapidly scrolled down the laptop’s screen, the words ‘ACCESS GRANTED’ suddenly flashing across its surface, Nancy suddenly twitching as her restricted memory files were opened, dozens of files, audio files, video files, both actual memories of events she had experienced as well as prerecorded messages, all centered on Christy Isaacs.

“Nancy,” Mary came around and gripped the robot by the shoulders “listen to me very carefully, you can _not_ tell Dale about any of this. Net yet anyway. Only when the time’s right”

“ _But how am I to know when time is right?_ ” Nancy asked

Mary swallowed, then sighed

“I don’t know” she admitted as Dale came back in…

******

Nightfall found Dale lounging on the couch watching the news, idly switching from one channel to the other, pausing at coverage of what looked like a protest march

“ _In Times Square today members of robot rights group Coalition for Automaton Rights gathered in one of the largest protest marches in recent history,_ ” the newscaster was saying “ _the group has been well documented for its advocacy of the treatment of robots as equal citizens, even up to the allowing of marriage between humans and robots. Protests were met by counter protesters from an anti-robots group. Despite worries from the NYPD, there were no injuries or property damage and both groups left peacefully_ ”

Shutting off the TV, Dale tossed the remote aside, lazily stretching as she got up, Nancy looked up from where she was sitting

“ _Going to bed?_ ” she asked

“Yeah,” Dale nodded as she climbed the stairs, pausing “Nancy?”

“ _Yes?_ ”

“I’ll take a cup of that tea”

Nancy nodded

“ _Of course, I’ll bring it up to you momentarily_ ”

“Thanks”


	6. Sword of Damocles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter SIX! Enjoy! :=)

******

Dale groaned as she shut off her alarm and shuffled into the bathroom, staring blearily at her reflection in the mirror, assessing the dark green eyes and the wavy brown hair, with the high cheek bones and sharp nose. Shaking out the aforementioned hair, she grabbed her toothbrush and toothpaste and began her morning routine…

******

“ _Good morning, Dale,_ ” Nancy greeted as she unplugged from her charging station “ _would you like some breakfast?_ ”

“No, I’ll just get a bagel,” Dale replied as she moved into the kitchen, the robot following with the quiet whirr of servomotors “I’m already late for work anyway” Dale continued as she put the bagel slices in the toaster

“ _I never asked, what do you do?_ ” Nancy aksed

“I’m a secretary for Anson Lane”

“ _Anson Lane: CEO of Lane Industries,_ ” Nancy recited “ _manufacturers of gardening tools_ ”

“That’s them,” Dale nodded as she peered into the fridge “hey, where’s the cream cheese?” she asked

“ _I’m sorry, it was already expired, so I threw it out,_ ” Nancy explained “ _I can get more from the store if you wish_ ”

“Nah, that’s all right, I’ll just pick some on my way back home” Dale dismissed

“ _You seem to be in higher spirits today_ ” Nancy noted as she found and filled a travel mug with extra strong coffee

“Yeah,” Dale realized “I am,” as she buttered the bagel and took a bite she glanced over at Nancy “Nancy?” she asked

“ _Yes?_ ”

“Why don’t you come with me to work?” Dale offered “they let you—hell, they downright _encourage_ you to—bring your robots to work”

Nancy nodded

“ _I would be honored_ ”

******

The car ride to work was quiet, yet comfortable, the animosity Dale had been feeling towards Nancy was starting to fade. If she was totally honest, she had hated Nancy not because she was a robot, but because she reminded her of Christy. As she pulled to a stop at a red light, Nancy suddenly reached out and turned on the radio, changing to a light jazz station.

Dale frowned at the robot

“Let me guess,” she drawled “if I ask, you’ll tell me that you ‘like’ jazz”

“ _Yes_ ”

“Figures”

******

Dale had a small desk of her own right outside Anson Lane’s office

“Just…stand there” she instructed Nancy, gesturing to the corner as she herself sat down behind the desk, absently booting up her computer…

******

The rest of the day passed without incident, with the exception of a few other coworkers dropping by Dale’s desk to welcome her back to work. She’d taken her lunch break at her desk, munching on her salad with little interest as Nancy remained where she had been ordered to stand, idly looking around

“Nancy?” Dale asked

“ _Yes?_ ”

“Quit…standing there, you’re creeping me out”

“ _What you have me do?_ ” Nancy asked

“Uh…here,” Dale handed the robot a stack of papers “collate these for me”

“ _Very well_ ” Nancy took the papers and with robotic speed collated them in seconds

“Ms. Isaacs?”

Dale looked up and then quickly stood up, smoothing out her shirt

“Mr. Lane, sir, what can I do for you”

“Well, I’m sorry to say this,” Mr. Lane said “especially in light of your daughter’s passing, but,” he handed her a pink slip of paper “we’re expanding and decided to replace some positions with the NS-6 models”

“You’re firing me?” Dale demanded “and replacing me with a _robot_?!?!”

“ _Dale,_ ” Nancy gripped her arm “ _do not make a scene, please_ ”

“You can’t fire me, you ass!” Dale raged…

******

“Let go of me!” Dale grunted as security unceremoniously shoved her out of the building, one absently handing her the box holding the stuff from her desk. Panting for breath, she kicked the door and then sank down on the curb as the doors opened again and a pair of metal legs stopped in front of her

“ _Are you proud of yourself?_ ” the robot asked

“Fuck off!”

“ _You could have left with your dignity and reputation intact,_ ” Nancy reminded her “ _instead you have embarrassed yourself and no doubt endangered the chances of getting another job. Mr. Lane will most likely spread the word about your actions in there_ ”

“Nancy…,” Dale began “let’s go get drunk”

“ _No,_ ” Nancy stated “ _I will drive you home if you wish, but I will not allow you to risk your emotional and mental well-being_ ”

“Oh,” Dale groaned as she dropped her head into her hands “just shut up!”

“ _Here,_ ” Nancy gently took her under the arm “ _come, let’s go home_ ”

******

Dale stared out the window without really seeing anything as the car sped down the highway, Nancy behind the wheel

“Did anyone you cared for ever been fired?” Dale wondered

“ _Yes, on several occasions_ ” Nancy nodded

“And did any of them lose their jobs and their daughter?”

“ _Yes. Arthur Bailey III. The fourth generation of the Bailey lineage_ ”

“So what’d you do?”

The robot seemed to sigh

“ _I did many things. Largely I simply remained by his side_ ” Nancy explained as she pulled the car into the driveway and the two got out, both pausing at the poster tapped to the front door

“Oh my god,” Dale breathed as she pulled it off and examined the poster “get back in the car” she ordered, already halfway down the drive

“ _Dale, this is not healthy—_ ” Nancy objected

“Just shut up and get in the car!” Dale snarled “that is an _order_!!”

“ _Command confirmed_ ” Nancy stated as she climbed into the passenger seat, staring at the words at the top of the poster

MISSING PERSON  
CHRISTY ISACCS

The sixteen year old girl in the attached photo bared no resemblance to Dale’s daughter, but the other statistics were eerily similar. And as she examined the poster and Dale’s body language, Nancy identified the sensation surging through her processors.

Trepidation…


	7. A Mother's Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter SEVEN! Enjoy! :=)

******

The neighborhood where the ‘other’ Christy Isaacs lived was distinctly upscale, two story houses and manicured lawns lined either side of the street, bicycles lay in the driveways, cars—all neatly washed and waxed—sat on the curb, while in one yard a group of children played in the sprinklers and in another a robot trimmed the hedges. All mom, dad, and apple pie, a picture perfect slice of modern suburbia, a place where the residents could easily delude themselves into believing that child disappearances could never happen.

As she pulled the car to a stop, Dale idly drummed her fingers on the steering wheel, spotting the house in question, the driveway and curb crowded with cars.

“ _Dale—_ ” Nancy began

“Don’t” Dale snapped as she unbuckled her seatbelt and climbed out of the car to stare at the house in question. A check on the internet using Dale’s phone (Nancy’s model didn’t have Wi-Fi) revealed the basics; Christina ‘Christy’ Isaacs was born John and Emily Isaacs. Emily Isaacs had been arrested when the girl was ten for a string of various crimes (drugs primarily) and was by all accounts an unlikable person.

But, apparently, at least according to Christina’s social media, she had never stopped loving her mother. Her Facebook page was filled with various photos and stories about her; all praising her as a wonderful woman—in her teenaged naïveté she clearly held onto the idealized vision of her mother in her head.

“ _Do you have a plan?_ ” Nancy asked as she followed Dale up the drive to the porch

“I’ll improvise” Dale shrugged as she rang the bell, the door swinging open to reveal a young girl. She looked to be about twelve with delicate Asian features, and a load of attitude as she cocked a hand on her hip, gum popping in her mouth as she sized up the two visitors

“Posters or phones?” she asked

“Both?” Dale answered hesitantly

The girl shrugged as she held the door open wider.

“What’s your bot run on? Coal?” she asked as she looked Nancy up and down

“ _No,_ ” Nancy answered “ _peat_ ”

The girl clearly didn’t get the joke and just shrugged again as she walked off, leaving Dale and Nancy in a crowded room. A large table, presumably the dinning table, was covered with a large map and stacks of posters, while a phone bank of sorts had been set up next to that, a crowd of people all calling and asking if anyone had seen the missing girl.

Leaving Nancy alone, Dale moved through the room, brushing past people as if they weren’t there, slipping past the crowd and into an adjacent room, easily recognizing the lone woman sitting at the kitchen island clutching a cup of coffee as Christy Isaacs’ stepmother, recognizing the aura of loss and near-insanity surrounding her form. The kitchen was warm; the smell of baking filling the air, and island was cluttered with plates of cookies and pies. Clearly the other woman was trying to take her mind off the situation.

The other woman startled as she saw Dale, who faltered in the doorway

“I’m sorry” she apologized

“No, no, please,” the woman gestured to the chair next to hers “I could some company,” she invited “I’m Sarah” she introduced herself

“Dale,” Dale replied, accepting the cup of coffee but declined the invitation to sit down “how long has it been?” she asked quietly

The other woman sniffled and lightly dabbed at her eyes with a napkin

“Four days” she answered

“And the police don’t know where she is?” Dale asked “or who could have…” she winced “…taken her?” she finished

Sarah seemed to stiffen at the question, and then shrugged

“The police say that they’re doing everything they can,” she began “but with the way things are these days I don’t think she’s their top priority these days. She’s sixteen, a ‘rebellious teenager’, there was an Amber Alert, but it didn’t seem to help,” she stood up and pulled a fresh sheet of cookies out of the oven, and Dale was somewhat jealous, baking was a skill she sorely lacked

“Do you have any children?” Sarah asked

“A daughter” Dale answered

Sarah smiled, the move somewhat strained

“How old is she?” she asked

“Nineteen,” Dale answered fondly “a horribly smart and independent nineteen” she added with a forced smile of her own

“They grow up so fast don’t they?” Emily nodded “they think that they’re smarter and wiser than you,” she sniffled again “Christy’s not my daughter biologically, but…I love her like she was”

Dale nodded as she leaned against the doorframe

“All you want to do is protect them,” she nodded “and all they want to do is grow up and get as far away from you as possible”

Sarah offered a plate of cookies to her, which Dale took with a quite nod

“Where’s your daughter now?” Sarah asked

Cookie halfway to her mouth, Dale paused, her eyes distant

“She’s with her father” she answered…

******

Nancy pushed open the door to her left, finding herself in what was clearly Christy Isaacs’ room. There had been an effort made to tidy it, the bed had been made and clothes straightened, and rug vacuumed, but it was still a teenager’s room; cluttered, a sight familiar to Nancy, having cared for nearly four generations of teenagers in her existence. The walls were covered with posters of the latest tween idols, bands and artists that Nancy had never heard off and had no real interest in knowing about. There were also photographs that revealed that the girl that had answered the door was Christy’s younger sister, presumably a stepsibling

She moved to the desk, sorting through the stacks of notebooks and unfinished homework, finding nothing of note. Pausing, she studied the laptop sitting in the corner

**Identifying device…**

**Device identified: Apple Macbook Air  
Positronic-compatible**

Opening it, she turned it on. Finding the USB port, she leaned forward, a small panel on her torso sliding back to reveal a USB cable, which she quickly unspoiled and plugged into the computer.

**Connecting with device…**

**Connection with device established**

Now connected with the laptop, she opened various files and folders, quickly using the laptop’s Wi-Fi to connect to the internet and finding Christy Isaacs’ Twitter feed, finding a series of Tweets revealing that Emily Isaacs had been released from prison at least two months previously. According to the tweets, Christy was quite excited by this information, and apparently had been calling her from the moment she’d found a place to live.

“What are you doing?”

Looking up, Nancy found the girl who had met her and Dale at the front door

“ _Helping the search_ ” Nancy answered honestly

“By going through her laptop?” the girl countered

“ _Yes_ ” Nancy answered honestly

The girl narrowed her eyes at the robot

“Are you a cop ‘bot?” she asked

“ _No_ ” Nancy answered as she copied and saved the information from the laptop and then unplugged from it

“Then how do you know Christy?”

“ _I don’t,_ ” Nancy replied “ _you don’t seem too concerned about your sister’s disappearance_ ” she noted

The girl shrugged

“I don’t get what the big deal is. It’s like she hasn’t done this before”

Nancy looked up at her

“ _Your sister’s disappeared before?_ ” she asked

The girl froze, clearly realizing that she’d said something she probably shouldn’t have

“Yeah, her real mom got out of jail a few years ago, and Chris went off to see her,” she explained “she came back a few days later” she dismissed as she seemingly got bored and left…

******

“What did you find out?” Dale asked as they climbed back into the car

“ _Christy Isaacs has run away before_ ” Nancy explained

“To see her mother,” Dale nodded “her stepmother told me. Apparently since she’s got out of prison, Emily’s shacked up with some pusher in the old foundry district”

“ _How do you propose we find them?_ ” Nancy asked “ _the foundry district is quite large_ ”

“Sarah told me that Emily kicked him out,” Dale explained “but apparently kept the house. She sent Christy a birthday card last month” she held up an envelope

“ _Which you took the time to steal I see_ ” Nancy nodded

Dale shrugged as she started the engine

“Sticky fingers” she dismissed…

******

The place where Emily Isaacs had been living for the past year or so was in a less than reputable neighborhood. While her ex-husband lived in a comfortable, Norman Rockwell-esque existence, Emily Isaacs lived in a dilapidated one story ranch house in an equally dilapidated neighborhood. Most of the houses on the block had lawns overgrown with weeds and the windows were boarded up, indicating that most of them were condemned, and Dale suspected that Emily Isaacs may have been squatting in the house she was staying in.

“ _It seems that Emily Isaacs is having a party_ ” Nancy noted as she and Dale took note of the large number of cars parked on the property, loud music blaring from the house

“Yeah,” Dale drawled “nice neighborhood, I’m probably going to get my tires stolen while we’re in there” she muttered as she marched up to the porch, Nancy following, both pausing at the cardboard sign hung from the front door which read ‘NO ROBOTS’.

After a brief pause, Nancy reached out and pulled the sign off and threw it away into the weeds

“ _Whoops_ ” she said, and if a robot could sound smug, she certainly did at that moment as Dale pushed the half open door open, wrinkling her nose at the stench of stale beer, marijuana, cigarette smoke (nicotine had been outlawed for at least twenty years she reminded herself), and body odor. The house was packed full of partiers, all of whom seemed to be drugged out of their minds, and Dale felt her anger rising, this was no place for a child.

“Emily Isaacs, does anyone know Emily Isaacs?” she asked

No one knew anything. They were all either too high, too drunk, or had only come for the free drugs and booze and had no idea who Emily Isaacs was. Scowling at the dregs of humanity around her, Dale found her gaze drawn to Nancy. In this cesspit, the robot shone like a fine jewel, not just because she actually shone, but because the robot was, in many ways, more decent and caring than any of these miserable excuses for people surrounding them.

Ironic. A machine having more humanity than some humans.

“ _Dale,_ ” Nancy grabbed her arm and then pointed to a woman sitting in the far corner “ _that is Emily Isaacs_ ” she explained. Pushing her way through the crowd, Dale reached out and, grabbing Emily Isaacs arm, spun her around

“Where’s Christy?” she demanded over the pulsing beat of the music

Emily stared at her through glazed and unfocused bloodshot eyes, her gaze sliding past Dale to a have open doorway. Releasing her, Dale marched past her, bursting into the room. It was a bedroom; a single, dim lamp illuminated the room. Christy Isaacs lay on the lone bed, surgical tubing wrapped around one arm, a syringe still sticking out of her unnaturally pale skin, as her eyes staring, unseeing at the ceiling, lips blue

“Nancy!” Dale hollered as she hurried over and began mouth-to-mouth “start CPR!” she ordered as Nancy came in

Nancy looked down at the girl’s limp form, placing a hand on her chest

**Heart rate: 0**  
**Pulse: 0  
**Blood pressure: 00/00**  
**Neurological activity: 0****

****

****

**Status: DECEASED**

****

**  
**

“Come on!” Dale urged “come on!” she raged

****

“ _Dale…_ ” Nancy gently came over to her

****

“What are you doing? Start compressions!” Dale ordered

****

“ _Dale, stop,_ ” Nancy pleaded “ _it’s too late, she’s dead_ ”

****

“MY DAUGHTER IS NOT DEAD!!!!” Dale roared

****

Nancy took her by the shoulders, spinning her around

****

“That _is_ not _your daughter_ ” she stated

****

Dale stared at her, tears glistening in her eyes as Nancy reached up to cup her cheeks, her mechanical hands warm and soft as Dale crumpled against the robot, allowing Nancy to hold her

****

“She just wanted to try it”

****

Dale looked up as Emily Isaacs slumped against the doorframe

****

“What?” Dale hissed “you did this?!?!” she raged, pulling away from Nancy to march towards the other woman, soundly punching her across the jaw “YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO PROTECT HER!!!” she roared as she grabbed Emily by a fistful of her stringy hair and swung her into the wall, drawing back a leg and kicking her in the gut “YOU’RE HER MOTHER!!! YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO PUT HER LIFE FIRST!!!”

****

“ _Dale!_ ” Nancy grabbed Dale’s arm, pulling her back “ _she is not worth it,_ ” she nodded towards Emily Isaacs “ _the authorities will deal with her, there is nothing more we can do,_ ”

****

Dale glanced back at the dead girl on the bed, for a moment seeing her own daughter in its place, but then she blinked and the image was gone

****

“ _Come on_ ” Nancy urged, gently guiding her out of the house…

****


End file.
